Repeatedly saying "the work's here," Childress revealed after Friday's practice that Peterson didn't tell him about the conflict with an event in the Pro Bowl running back's hometown until Wednesday or Thursday -- after Childress had read Internet reports about it.

Asked if he's annoyed by Peterson's absence, Childress said, "I just know that there's a bunch of guys here. This has the term 'mandatory' for a reason, and the work's here, period.

"You can say whatever you want. This is the fourth annual Adrian Peterson Day. I don't know if it's going to be like every year they're going to have that. We're going to have this, too."

Peterson did spend time earlier this week at Winter Park, doing some on-field drills and visiting with the team's medical staff. But he apparently returned to Palestine, Texas, sometime in the past 24 hours and was one of only four players on the roster who weren't on the field when minicamp opened on Friday afternoon.

Childress said the offseason schedule was provided to players "at a very early stage." He doesn't expect Peterson to return after Saturday's festivities in time for the final minicamp practice on Sunday.

Asked whether there was more to Peterson's absence than the scheduling conflict, Childress said, "Not from my standpoint. We were going to be here, we were going to take people that were here."

The other absentees were end Ray Edwards, who hasn't signed his restricted free-agent tender; undrafted rookie receiver Aaron Rhea; and veteran quarterback Brett Favre, who by all indications has Childress' permission to miss minicamp and perhaps training camp, too.

"I think that, first of all, it's a special circumstance," Childress said of Favre's situation. "I don't think Adrian's batting around retirement in his mind. So, it's a special set of circumstances. You can say, 'Well, is it special? Is everything equal?' Obviously, it's not, and that's just the way it is. ... I think everybody understands that on our side of the equation."

Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe echoed that sentiment, saying "of course, there's going to be exceptions for (Favre). Everybody knows that. It's Brett Favre. He's earned the right, I feel, and everybody else feels the same way, especially with the season he had last year."

End Jared Allen responded to a question about the two stars' absence by joking, "I cry myself to sleep every night. I really do. It's a tough thing."

Allen then added: "You know what? These guys are their own people. They're going to do what they do. ... We've got a bunch of guys here -- I think everybody but those two are here. So, we just come out here, and we can only work with who's here on the field, and that's what we try to do. We try to get better every day."